A Layman’s Guide to Guaranteeing the Structural Integrity of Buildings

There is one major risks that is faced by people who are involved in building projects. This is the risk of ending up with buildings that lack structural integrity. Should one end up with a building that lacks structural integrity, several consequences are likely to follow. Firstly, the authorities are likely to declare the building unsafe for habitation: which would mean that the money spent putting it up would have been spent in vain. Alternatively, if such a building (which lacks structural integrity) somehow gets approval to be occupied, there is the risk of it coming tumbling down. In that scenario, the owner would end up being held criminally responsible, on top of having to pay compensation to the affected people and suffering other huge losses.

It is against that sort of background, then, that the question arises, as to what a layman who is involved in building projects can do, to guarantee structural integrity of the buildings. As it turns out, there are three key things that can be done in this regard.

To guarantee the structural integrity of buildings, it is essential that properly qualified and experienced professionals be involved in the building projects. The whole range of people involved, from the architects and quantity surveyors to the structural engineers and masons should be people who are adequately qualified, and who have some experience.

Further, to guarantee the structural integrity of buildings, it is essential that high quality materials be used throughout the building projects. It is not good enough, for instance, to use high quality steel, if the cement used is of dubious quality. As a matter of fact, in major projects, even the quality of water used in the construction should be subjected to tests, to ascertain its quality!

Finally, to guarantee the structural integrity of buildings, it is essential that adequate time be allocated for the various stages of the building projects. Often, property developers are in a hurry to complete building projects so that the money can start coming in. To make this possible, shortcuts are taken: like, for instance, where slabs are not adequately cured, or where adequate time is not allowed for the cement-based substructures to dry. The end result is often a scenario where the structural integrity is interfered with considerably. To avoid this, allocate adequate time for the various stages.